New Brand as Friend® Index

12.05.2013

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Eric Mower + Associates has launched a new proprietary tool that helps marketers measure how their brands are building powerful relationships with customers. EMA’s Brand as Friend® Index illustrates how a brand performs across nine key drivers of friendship—both where it is strongest and where it needs to improve.

“In an era where buyers are more likely to believe the opinion of a total stranger online than a message from a brand, it’s critical that you build affection, relevance and trust with your customers. Our approach helps build more magnetic, engaging brands using the basic tenets of friendship,” said Lisa Huggins, CMO at EMA. “Once we see exactly how customers perceive a brand, we can recommend the most effective strategies to create stronger, longer lasting bonds in the key areas people value the most.”

The Brand as Friend Index is based on a brand assessment issued to a company’s sample customer base and key internal stakeholders. Companies can also be measured against their key competitors. Respondents evaluate a brand on nine key drivers: Honesty, Story, Style, Listening, Advising, Caring, Surprise, Connecting and Loyalty. When the drivers are grouped together, they form three powerful dimensions of a brand friendship: Affection, Relevance and Trust.

At the end of the assessments, EMA presents the Brand as Friend Index to show a brand precisely how it rated. The ideal brand score reflects a balance of Affection, Relevance and Trust.

As part of the Brand as Friend Index launch, EMA asked 1,000 U.S. consumers to rate top retailers as they headed into the holiday shopping season. Beginning Dec. 5 on Twitter, EMA will feature each driver of friendship and a brand that scored highly. In the final three days, EMA will highlight the retailers that ranked highly in Affection, Relevance and Trust. Follow the highlights on Twitter @EMAtalkhuman with the hashtag #12DaysofShopping.

To learn more about the Brand as Friend Index, contact Lisa Huggins at lhuggins@mower.com.

About Mower

Mower is a digitally-integrated independent marketing, advertising and public relations agency. With 165 professionals in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, and Syracuse, Mower delivers strategic insights, digital solutions, smart creative, and award-winning results to clients. Part of two global agency networks — thenetworkone and IPREX — as well as the 4A’s.